T20 World Cup 2026: 'Waiting to get a hug from my Sanju' says Samson's mom after his heroics in the final

Sanju Samson. Pic/AFP; (right) mother Liz Viswanath

As dashing opener Sanju Samson emerged as the Player of the Series of India's T20 World Cup-winning campaign in Ahmedabad on Sunday, back home in Trivandrum his mother, Liz Viswanath, couldn't control her tears of joy. There might just have been a few tears due to her suffering too as Liz has been battling a severe chest infection for the last six days. But given a mother's selflessness and resilience, her suffering didn't matter one bit as she kept praying for her son's success.

"I was trying to keep a tab on the final match and I saw Sanju scoring runs [he scored 89]. Later, I was even more happy to learn that my son was declared Player of the Series," Liz told mid-day over the phone from their home in Trivandrum.

Unable to travel, she and her husband Viswanath watched from afar, while Sanju's wife, Charulatha, cheered from the stands at the Narendra Modi Stadium.

Sanju had called his mother before the final, urging her to take care of her health. "But I'm yet to receive a call from him today. I'm eagerly waiting for him to return home so that I can hug him," added the doting mother.